Moonlight Shadow
by Yuki moon
Summary: In a world where different kingdoms compete for the title of the best—a prince flees his palace to escape the throne, only to find him in love with a naïve, but adorable peasant girl who despise the royal power. S+S E+T??


--------------------MOONLIGHT SHADAOW----------------------------  
  
In a world where different kingdoms compete for the title of the best-a prince flees his palace to escape the throne, only to find him in love with a naïve, but adorable peasant girl who despise the royal power. S+S E+T??  
  
Disclaimer--- Cardcaptor and properties belongs to CLAMP.  
  
---A/N: Well, hello there! I know I'm not done with my other story, but I had an urge to do this one. I got the idea after playing Final Fantasy IX, which I totally love! By the way, if you haven't, please go read my other fic called "I Remember Love". It was my first one, so I'm not sure it's splendid. But give it a try, please? Anyways, since you're here, why not read this story? And please tell me what you think by leaving a review so that I can and will update faster with more chapters! ^^ It's AU, so the characters are OOC. That's all.  
  
----------------------------------CHAPTER ONE------------------------- ----  
  
-Kyoto-  
  
"The prince of Tokyo has vanished! The prince of Tokyo has vanished!" In a mad rush, whispers of rumors spread through the market square like a blaze of fire. Some say that he had been murdered, for he was the heir to the throne. The king of Tokyo has been ill lately, and it was possible that he wouldn't make it. For older women who knew better, they could only fantasize that he had ran away with a beauty, choosing love over power. Of course, the talk of the Tokyo prince was just about everywhere! He was dashing! Gorgeous! Handsome! But of course, their own young king who ruled over Kyoto was just as dashing. Dark hair and appealing eyes that could melt the heart of a young girl with just one look.  
  
Rumors were everywhere and about everything! It's even been heard that the young king, Eriol Hiiragizawa, was looking for a wife! Such luck to be the young maiden!  
  
"The prince of Tokyo has vanished!" the messenger cried out again. He was to report this to every empire in Japan, for if there was such luck, the prince might be spotted. He was terribly exhausted after hours of traveling on his horse, moving from place to place, having peasants yell at him for lying. He does not lie! He only brought and reported the news.  
  
The messenger then whirled around as he felt and tap on his shoulder. "Yes?"  
  
Next to him stood a beautiful young girl with auburn hair. She seemed so polite. "Excuse me sir," she started, "but why do you bother informing us about the dreadful loss of this oh, wonderful prince?" She was obviously being sarcastic.  
  
He took his words back. She was NOT polite. Quite rude, in a way. "I'm sorry miss, but this is my job. I am to report and to let citizens like-"  
  
"-Well, please stop informing then!" she hollered. Their conversation got a few attentions from the crowd. "All kingdoms are now individual and they're just competing against each other to see who the wealthiest is. They don't' care about their citizens who work hard each and everyday! And when we peasants work, we work our butts off! I don't really think we care or have time to look for this prince of yours! And with your blabbermouth here, it's just wasting our time."  
  
Whoa. Now he knows he shouldn't mess with this girl. She was dreadfully rude and no manners whatsoever. "I'm sorry miss, I apologies, but-"  
  
"No, don't apologies! Just g-mm ermm!" She didn't get to finish her line before a muscular man with dark hair clamped a hand on her mouth.  
  
"That's enough Sakura," he told her and started to sweat. His little sister was causing such a scene that was more than embarrassing. "I'm sorry sir. Please excuse this little monster," he apologized to the messenger.  
  
"T-that's alright," he replied, sweating as well. The little maiden could've bit his head off if she wanted to.  
  
"C'mon, let's go shrimp," her brother ordered her, his hand still on her mouth. She gave up. She never really wanted to cause such a scene. People were starting. Everyone was staring! And she knew just about every single one of them! Now, they must think that she was such a brat. But she couldn't help it. When she gets carried away, it gets ugly.  
  
Toya, her brother, finally took his hand away when they were a far distance from the guy. Sakura started to breathe again. She sighed heavily. 'I'm such an idiot.'  
  
"What were you thinking?"  
  
"M-me?" she asked nervously. Of course her! "I- uh, I got carried away, that's all Toya."  
  
"Well, don't do that again," he glared at her. "Those aren't exactly beautiful words you spoke, you know?"  
  
Sakura nodded. "I know."  
  
Toya sighed. His own sister, who grew up, but hadn't really grew up. She was 17 and still so naïve. She was like a beautiful flower that bloomed graciously, but her seeds were so rotten. To him, she was still a kid. She acted like one and still looked like one. "Anyway, did you get those loafs of bread that mom asked for?"  
  
Sakura searched through her bags of variety items that she had bought earlier. "Yes," she answered when she spotted them at the bottom. It was the first thing that she came straight to when she arrived at the market square. She didn't want to forget it, since it was for her mother. Her mother Nadeshiko had been a widow for some years now, after the death of Sakura's father. It had been hard for Nadeshiko to raise two children and still work in the field. Sakura had been small back then and she hated working, but after seeing her mother struggle, she wanted to lend a hand and help with the chores. Toya had already been working and was continuously finding jobs after jobs to raise some cash. That was the life of a peasant, and Sakura hated it.  
  
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The feel of the cool water against her skin seemed like an endless heaven. Sakura allowed herself to relax. A cold bath after a tough and hot day was the most enjoyable! It's absolutely rewarding, but she wished the bathtub wasn't outside. There were so many things that she was afraid of. Ghosts were number one! And the rest, well, whatever was scary scared her. Being alone out, all by herself, in the night where there were only large pine trees surrounding their house-shed was pretty creepy.  
  
What could be lurking around behind the trees? And why is she even bothering to think about this? Everyday, she takes a bath a night, she starts to feel the chill, but then hurries her bath time, and before she knows it, she's back inside the house! Nothing to it! 'It's just my imagination' Sakura thought. She slowly let the thoughts slip away and out of her mind as she started to wash herself. "Clean, clean with soap..." she sung and hummed.  
  
"H-help... me."  
  
Sakura froze. 'Who was that?' Ok, now's the time to panic. Maybe she's just hearing voices? Yeah, that's it. Voices in her head...  
  
"Help... me."  
  
"AH!" she screamed, dropping the soap in her hand. "WHO'S OUT THERE? TOYA! STOP IT!! STOP SCARING ME!" Sakura cried out. It had to be that damn brother of hers! It's just got to! If it weren't, then who would it be? Or what could it be...  
  
"Sakura! Calm down!" came the voice of her brother. Sakura groggily opened her eyes, hoping to see his face. And she did.  
  
"What are you doing? Stop scaring me!" she cursed.  
  
"It's not me." Toya then stared out at the trees hidden beneath the darkness. Sakura nervously turned her head.  
  
"T-then who is... it?"  
  
Toya rolled his eyes. She was seventeen and still the biggest chicken he knew. "I'll go check."  
  
"Be careful."  
  
Sakura stare at him as he slowly disappeared into the pitch-black wood. It was quiet for the moment. She had heard his footsteps, but now, it seemed to lose its sound. She looked hard, piercing her eyes into the trees, trying to make the figure of him, but she just couldn't see him. Right about then, she heard a scream. That was Toya alright!  
  
"Toya!" Sakura screamed. She quickly wrapped a towel around her wet body and with a lot of courage and determination, ran into the wood as well. "Toya! Hold on, I'm coming!" She shut her eyes tightly, not knowing what she'll bump into but she just wanted to go and help her brother.  
  
And then, Sakura felt as if she bumped into something. "Don't act as if you're a hero," came the voice of her only brother. Sakura gasped. She opened her eyes and dimly saw the figure of Toya. Then she saw his hand. He had stopped her with his bare hand, which was placed on her forehead.  
  
"Don't come running into the wood with only a towel on, Sakura."  
  
She got so angry. "You jerk, I came to help you! What was that scream?"  
  
Toya sighed. "Never mind that. Look, I found this," he said, tilting his head towards his left shoulder. Her brother was carrying a sleeping boy on his shoulder.  
  
"Is he dead?" she wrinkled her nose.  
  
"Nope. I'm sure he's pretty alive. Now, let's head back." Sakura followed Toya into the house. When they got in, he then placed the boy onto Sakura's bed.  
  
"Why my bed?" she asked.  
  
"Cuz it's the closest," he replied. "This kid is weighing a lot on my shoulder."  
  
Nadeshiko came into the room. "What was it?"  
  
"Some injured kid," said Sakura.  
  
Toya snorted. "Who're you calling a kid? He seems to be the same age as you."  
  
"No he doesn't? I'm much older than him," she protested. But as Sakura looked more at the boy in her bed, she began to realize that maybe her stupid brother was right. Who was he? She's never seen him before in her life. She's lived in Kyoto all her life and has never met a boy that looked like him before. He almost has the same color of hair as she does.  
  
"Sakura," Nadeshiko said, "Go get me a pail of water and a piece of cloth. I need to wash his wounds." Sakura did as she was told and got back quickly. Tonight freaked her out. For heaven sake, she wasn't even dressed yet! Still in the damn towel. And she didn't get to finish her bath!  
  
"Mom, just let the shrimp do it. You're tired, so you should get some rest," Toya said.  
  
"It's alright," Nadeshiko refused and started to dip the cloth into the water.  
  
"Toya's right," Sakura said. "I'll take over. Go rest."  
  
Nadeshiko finally gave in and let Sakura do it. "Aw man, I'm hungry," cried Toya. With that, he went into the kitchen to cook up a snack.  
  
Sakura started to clean the stains of mud that were on his hands. 'He sure has soft skins.' She had to compliment him on that. She then moved to his face. Sakura lifted his hair up to clean his forehead. She slid down toward his left cheek and onto his chin. 'Nice skin.' She started to wash his other cheek, and then down to his neck.  
  
"I'm not even gonna bother to take his shirt off," she muttered in disgust. Sakura stopped. She swore she could've smelt some kind of fragrance coming from him. Wait, wasn't he suppose to smell bad? He probably had been lying in the dirt before Toya came to the rescue. But that smell. It smelt like... roses. She loved roses, along with cherry blossoms of course.  
  
Sakura leaned in to get more of the smell. She was sure it was coming from him. Oh, how she loved the way that roses smell. It was so refreshing. She had to get more! Besides, she hasn't seen or smelt a rose in years! She remembered when her father use to buy some for her mother and her. But then he passed away.  
  
Sakura leaned in more closer to his face. The fragrance deepened. She came so close that her nose touched his cheek. It was as if she could've given him a kiss. It was that close. And that was when he woke up.  
  
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---A/N: I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review. My e-mail's battousai@tokyo.com just in case you want to write to me about anything. Until next time, thank you for reading! Oh, and I bet this was the longest chapter that I've written! Yay! 


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